In 7 Ways Water Workouts Work Wonders, we touched upon the many benefits of staying cool while working out and getting fit.

Water exercise, or aquatics, is a terrific non-impact fitness tool. Almost everyone can benefit from joining an aquatics class, including pregnant women, out of shape folks, the elderly, and patients recovering from injuries or certain surgeries.

* The water’s resistance offers an excellent opportunity to strength train without using weights.

To create additional resistance, cup your hands and pull or push the water away from you, or just run in place.

* Because of the water’s support, you can perform stretches that would be difficult (or impossible) on land. As a result, you can move your joints through a wider range of motion and achieve greater levels of fitness and flexibility in and out of the pool.

Being in the water is calming and energizing at the same time. Instead of creaking and groaning on land, you move with the ease and grace of a kid.

And, if you stay in the shallow end of the pool, you don’t even need to know how to swim!

For people with arthritis, hip injuries, or other joint maladies, working out on land can be incredibly painful, if not impossible. Of course, not exercising can cause those conditions to worsen over time.

If you’re caught between a rock and a hard place, consider a third option . . . water aerobics:

1. Exercising in water improves muscle strength. The water’s resistance makes movements harder than on land, resulting in faster development of muscle strength, endurance and flexibility.

2. Participants can control movements more easily using the water’s buoyancy to distribute the weight load, improve their balance, and reduce the impact on tender joints.

3. Pool exercise speeds recovery after injuries or knee-replacement surgery since the buoyancy allows for full range of motion with less risk of injury.

4. Water pressure compresses the chest, lowering the heart rate and helping blood circulate more efficiently.

5. In a cool pool, participants can exercise longer and more comfortably.

6. Water workouts may also improve mood and mental health. Being in water encourages a more positive outlook, which speeds recovery from both illness and accidents.

7. Warm water relaxes muscles, eases tension, reduces stress, and lessens mental fatigue. It may also promote chemical changes in the brain which maintain critical thinking and memory skills.

19. Take your work seriously, but yourself not at all. Sit on your ego.

20. Develop a forgiving attitude. Be kind to unkind people; they need it the most. Hanging on to anger and stale grievances doesn’t hurt them, it hurts you.

21. Be grateful for small blessings. Before going to sleep, think of one thing you’re grateful for that you’ve never been grateful for before. When we look for the best in life, we see it. Gratitude magnifies the good.

When your car breaks down, it’s Triple A to the rescue. If your life bogs down, you can also turn to AAA for help:

Action Alleviates Anxiety

Sometimes a small change has a tremendous impact on our mental outlook:

* Exercise is a great stress buster. Go for a brisk walk. Boost your heart rate while lowering your stress and anxiety levels.

* Take the dog and/or kids to the park or playground. Play tag, dodge ball, or monkey in the middle. Get on with it. Live Life Now.

* Offer to take nursing home residents in wheelchairs for outings around the neighborhood. Walk dogs at the local shelter. Volunteering two hours per week can reduce stress and provide other feel good benefits.

* Join a tai chi or yoga group in the park. Meditative movements help melt anxiety. Sunshine is a mood booster.

* Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff ~ Swap out one negative thought a day for a more positive thought.

* Catch up with friends. Peel an orange. Read a book. Don’t let life slip through your fingers.

* Be mindful. Pay attention. Awake and aware, we walk, pause, listen, reflect, know, and see the world anew ~ bright, fragrant, alive.